Engine control mechanism



Feb. 28, 1950 M. u. JOFPERI ETAL ENGINE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 16, 19 8 INVENTOR5 MATT U- JOPPEIZI 9ND By CHARLES Mama/mu QTTOEN'E Y6. v

Each said valve I4 as best shown in Figs. 1-? comprises a cylindrical housing I6 closed at its lower end to provide a flat upwardly facing seat H against which the downwardly facing flat seat iii of a rotary disc-like valve member I9 is seated. Leading to such seat I! in said housing is a central exhaust port to which a pipe 2| is connected, said pipe 2| extending downwardly into the water hold 22 of the boat. Also leading to such seat I! are a plurality of circularly arranged ports, of which the ports 23 and 24 are preferably circumferentially spaced 90 from each other with the pipes 25 and 26 connected thereto respectively connected to the ports at the lower and upper ends of the associated fluid motor In and the port 21 is spaced 135 from the ports 23 and 24 with the pipe 28 connected thereto leading to the steam chest of the associated engine 4. A pressure port 29 laterally through said housing and above said valve g member l9 has a pipe 30 connected thereto leading from a steam supply line 3!. Said lines 3i extend longitudinally of the boat on opposite sides thereof as shown in Fig. 2.

The valve member i9 is formed with a central port 32 only part-way therethrough constantly registering with the central exhaust port 20 in said housing l6 and a radially extending duct 33 joining the port 32 with a port 34, said latter port being adapted to selectively register with the ports 23 and 24 upon rotation of said valve member l9 in opposite directions. Said valve member I9 is further provided with two diametrically opposed ports and 3S completely therethrough each circumferentially spaced 90 from port 34.

As evident from Fig. '7, when said valve member I9 is in the position shown, no steam under pressure can flow to the associated engine 4 or to the associated fluid motor In. However, upon rotation of said valve member 45 in a counterclockwise direction, the ports 34 and 36 in said valve member will respectively register with the ports 23 and 24 in housing It whereupon steam under pressure above said valve member will flow through the ports 36 and 24 and through pipe 26 to the upper end of the fluid motor [9 to move the piston l2 downward and the exhaust from the lower end of said fluid motor, will flow through pipe 25, ports 23 and 34, duct 33, ports 32 and 20 and pipe 2| into the water hold 22. .Thereupon, further rotation of said valve member 45 more in the same direction will cause the ports 35 and 27 to be in register whereby steam is caused to flow through said ports and pipe 28 tothe associated winch engine 4 thus driving said engine in a desired direction as determined by the positioning of a reversing valve 4A (see Fig. 2) on said engine by the prior actuation of fluid motor ID as aforesaid, said valve 4A being of any well-known construction and having the handle 43 of its movable valve member connected to piston rod l3 of said fluid motor 10. In this case the counterclockwise rotation of said valve member will, as shown in Fig. 4, effect rotation of engine 4 through valve 4A in a direction to rotate the winch drum to draw in the cable or rope I.

On the other hand, if said valve member I9 is rotated 45 in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 7, steam will flow through ports 35 and 23 and pipe 25 to the lower end- 4 and 34, duct 33, ports 32 and 20, and exhaust pipe 2! into the water hold 22. Then, further rotation of said valve member clockwise 45* more will efiect operation of the engine in a reverse direction by steam flowing through the ports 36 and 21 and pipe 28 leading to the engine 4 through reversing valve 4A. As evident, such clockwise rotation of valve member 19 positions the engine reversing valve 4A so that the engine drives the winch drum to let out the rope or cable I.

Rotation of said valve member IS in opposite directions as aforesaid is effected through a rotary valve stem 31 having a pin 38 transversely therethrough with the projecting ends of said pin fittin into a slot diametrically across a boss 39 at the upper end of said valve member l9. Said stem 31 extends upwardly through a cover plate 40 which closes the top of housing l6 and which includes a stufiing box 4|. Interposed between said cover plate 40 and said valve member I9 is a compression spring 42 operative to efiect yieldable seatin of the valve member against seat ll thus supplementing the pressure of the steam acting on the upper surface of said valve member. wardly through deck 5 and keyed to the upper end of said stem is a gear 43.

Above said deck 5 is a supporting bracket 44 in which the upper end of stem 31 is journalled. Rotatably supported in said bracket 44 is a shaft 45 to the upper end of which the operating lever I5 is connected and to the lower end of which is keyed a pinion gear 46 in mesh with the gear 43 on the upper end of said stem, said pinion gear 46 preferably having a pitch diameter of substantially one-half that of the gear 43.

The operating lever I5 is pivotally connected between its ends to said shaft as by a pin 41 and a spring 48 interposed between said bracket 44 and one end of said lever urges the other end of said lever downwardly to a position for engagement with the circumferentially spaced stop lugs 49 to 54 formed on said bracket. Be-

cause of the 2:1 ratio between said stem 31 and' said shaft 45, stops 49, 50 and 5| and stops 52, 53 and 54 are arranged apart to enable the aforesaid 45 and 90 rotations of said valve member 19 in opposite directions from the Off position shown in Fig. 4. The stops 49-59 and 52-53 are such that when any one is engaged by the adjacent side of lever 15, said lever may be pivoted about pin 47, to thus raise the lever over the adjacent stop. The stops 5| and 54, however,project upwardly a distance such that said lever I 5 cannot be raised thereover. The upper end surfaces of stops 50 and 49 are preferably inclined whereby the lever [5 may be rotated clockwise from a position engaging stop 5| to a position between stops 49 and 52 with-' out stopping to raise the lever over stops 50 and 49 and likewise the upper end surfaces of stops 53 and 52 are similarly inclined whereby the lever I5 may be rotated counterclockwise from a position engaging stop 54 to a position between stops 49 and 52 without stopping to raise the leverover stops 53 and 52.

From the foregoing it is now understandable that the deck winch engines 4 can be operated in a desired direction by first rotating the associated operating lever I5 on the dockside of the boat in a desired direction to engage one of the stops 50 or 53 provided on the bracket member 44. The

pause in the turning of said operating lever while the same is raised over the stop 50 or 53 engaged Said stem 31 extends up arreaairr thereby permits proper actuation of the associated fluid motor In and consequent operation of the reversingv'alve4A- the engir ie to a desired position and finally further rotationof'said operating lever l5 in the same direction admits steam into the engine 4 to operate the latter through said valve 3A in a direction as determined by the prior actuation of saidfluidmotor I and engine reversingvalve- 4A. Then, in order to reverse the engined it is necessary first to return the operating lever to its initial off position as shown inFigs. 4 and 7 and thenturn thesame ina direction to-reversethefluid motor 10, lift it over the stop engaged thereby and further turn it to admit steam under pressure into the engine t through valve 4A.

With an engine control mechanism as herein disclosed the operator need only operate the one operating lever 15 and at the same time he will be stationed in the dock side of the boat whereby he can readily observe whether the ropes or cables 7 are to be drawn in or let out and accordingly manipulate the lever l5 without relying on signals from an assistant and without operating both a lever and a globe valve handle as was heretofore required. It is to be noted that the. engines 4 are paired up whereby, if desired, one operator can operate the two adjacent control mechanisms 6 and thereby control the two ropes or cables 1 at the front portion of the boat and another operator can control the other adjacent pair of control mechanisms 6 for controlling the ropes or cables I at the rear portion of the boat. With mechanisms such as disclosed, the boat I can be quickly and surely drawn up to a position closely adjacent the dock 9 without the dangers incident to operation of known mechanisms.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. A control mechanism for a fluid pressure operated winch engine including a valve controlling forward and reverse operation of said engine, comprising a double-acting fluid motor for actuating said valve, a selector valve operatively connected to said engine and fluid motor, said selector valve comprising a housing provided with a plurality of ports in communication with said fluid motor, engine, and a fluid pressure supply source, and a movable valve member in said housing provided with a plurality of ports so arranged that movement of said valve member to one position establishes communication between such supply source and said fluid motor to predeterminedly actuate said fluid motor and thus the valve actuated thereby and movement of said valve member to another position establishes communication between such supply source and said engine through said first-mentioned valve.

2. A control mechanism for a fluid pressure operated winch engine including a valve controlling forward and reverse operation of said engine, comprising a double-acting fluid motor for actuating said valve, a selector valve operatively connected to said engine and fluid motor, said selector valve comprising a housing provided with a plurality of ports in communication with said fluid motor, engine, and a fluid pressure supply source, and a movable valve member in said housing provided with a plurality of ports so arranged that movement of said valve member in one direc- 6v tion successively establishes? communication be tween such supply source and fluidmotor and between such supply source and engine-through said first mentioned-valve. I

3. A control mechanism for a fluidpressure operated winch engine including avalve: controlling forward and reverse operation of said engine, comprising a double-acting fluid motor for actuating said valve, a selector valve operatively connected to said engine and fluid motor, said selector valve comprising a housing provided with a plurality of ports in communication with said fluid motor, engine, and a fluid pressure supply source, and a movable valve member in said housing provided with a plurality of ports so arranged that in one position such supply source is isolated from said fluid motor and engine and that movement of said valve member in one direction from such position successively establishes communication between such supply source and fluid motor and between such supply source and engine through said first-mentioned valve.

4. A control mechanism for a fluid pressure operated winch engine including a valve controlling forward and reverse operation of said engine, comprising a double-acting fluid motor for actuating said valve, a selector valve operatively connected to said engine and fluid motor, said selector valve comprising a housing provided with a plurality of ports in communication with said fluid motor, engine, and a fluid pressure supply source, and a movable valve member in said housing provided with a plurality of ports So arranged that in one position such supply source is isolated from said fluid motor and engine, that movement of said valve member in one direction from such position successively establishes communication between such supply source and fluid motor, between such supply source and engine for operating said engine in a forward direction, and that movement of said valve member in an opposite direction from such position successively establishes communication between such suppl source and fluid motor and between such suppl source and engine for operating said engine through said first-mentioned valve in a reverse direction.

5. A control mechanismior a fluid pressure onerated winch engine including a valve controlling forward and reverse operation of said engine,

comprising a double-acting fluid motor for actuating said valve, a selector valve operatively connected to said engine and fluid motor, said selector valve comprising a housing provided with a plurality of ports in communication with said fluid motor, engine, and a fluid pressure supply source, a movable valve member in said housing provided with a plurality of ports so arranged that movement of said valve member in one direction successively establishes communication between such supply source and fluid motor and between such supply source and engine, and stop members cooperating with said valve member for temporarily arresting movement of said valve member upon establishment of communication between such supply source and fluid motor and for ar- 7 8; tor valve comprising a housing provideq Witha REFERENCES CITED plurality of ports in commumcatlon with said fl id otor, engine, a d fluid pressure upply The followingvreferences are of record in the source, and a movable valve member in said housfil f this p nt: ing provided with a plurality of ports so ax ranged 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS. that movement of said valve member in either of 4 two opposite directions successively establishes Number Name Date communication between such supply source and 1,533,167 chappell 6 a1 y 92 fluid motor and between such supply source and 42,186 Peterson May 26, 1936 engine through said first-mentioned valve. 10 1 ,7 7 0 0k Dec. 13, 1938 MATT JOPPERL 2,165,096 Frechette July 4, 1939 CHARLES I. MONAGHAN. 1, 65 Ware Nov. 12, 1940 2,344,913 Ager Mar. 21, 1944 

